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- Nationwide initiative will honor local programs implementing approaches designed to positively impact those with serious mental illness and their communities -

(Washington,
D.C., Aug. 5, 2014) –
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and the National
Council for Behavioral Health (National Council), along with Otsuka
America Pharmaceutical, Inc. and Lundbeck, today announced the launch
of the Connect
4 Mental Health® (C4MH) Community
Innovation Awards program. Building on the 2013 launch of the C4MH initiative,
this awards program is designed to recognize local organizations
across the country working to implement collaborative approaches that
support individuals with serious mental illness in their communities.

“Localized
programming and engagement are critical to supporting individuals
with serious mental illness,” said Linda Rosenberg, president and
CEO of the National Council. “Now more than ever, we need to
recognize and support organizations collaborating beyond the mental
health community and traditional
stakeholders and implementing creative programming to address their
community’s mental health needs.”

The
need for innovative community-based programs and broader community
engagement is reflected in the sobering fact that an estimated 40
percent of adults living with serious mental illness do not receive
mental health services.1 Additionally, it is estimated that 1.25 million jail and prison
inmates across the country have reported mental health problems.2 And untreated mental illness is estimated to cost the U.S. $100
billion each year.3

To
help encourage the continued development of novel, community-based
approaches, C4MH will issue four awards to U.S.-based programs exhibiting innovative
work in one of four pillars – early intervention, creative use of
technology, continuity of care, and service integration (one winner
in each pillar). Each winner will receive a $10,000 award to support
program efforts in their communities, as well as access to a
one-on-one Mentorship
Program to
learn from exemplary community-based programs that were recognized as
“national
success communities”
in 2013.

“Because
organizations can learn from one another and build on their success,
mentorship is an important component of the Community Innovations Awards program,” said Mary Giliberti, executive director of NAMI. “Through
this awards program we hope to identifyactionable
steps that communities could consider as they establish or improve
upon their mental health programs or service offerings.”

To
qualify for a Community
Innovation Award,
an organization must have a measurable objective focused on improving
mental health care to help address other challenges in their local
community. Entries are due by October 3, 2014 and will be judged in
the fall of 2014 by a committee of representatives from C4MH and the mentor community organizations. Winners will be notified by
November of 2014. Community organizations can learn more and apply
for the awards by visiting www.connect4mentalhealth.com.

About Connect
4 Mental Health
Connect
4 Mental Health (C4MH) is
a nationwide initiative calling for communities to prioritize serious
mental illness and advocate for new approaches that aim to help make
a difference for individuals living with these conditions, their
families and their communities. The campaign encourages collaboration
among the mental health community and other community-based
organizations – such as emergency services, law enforcement and
public housing – to develop localized interventions that provide
additional support for those with serious mental illness and also may
help address larger community problems. C4MH launched nationally in November 2013 with its Community
Collaboration Summit in Washington, D.C., where mental health advocates and criminal
justice, housing and other community-based stakeholders introduced
several comprehensive and integrated approaches aimed at helping the
estimated 1 in 17 Americans living with serious mental illness, their
families and their broader communities.4

C4MH is an alliance between the National Alliance on Mental Illness
(NAMI), the National Council for Behavioral Health (National
Council), Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc. and Lundbeck.

The
National Alliance on Mental Illness
The
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is the largest grassroots
mental health organization in the U.S. dedicated to building better
lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. NAMI
advocates for patient access to services, treatment, supports and
research and is steadfast in its commitment to raise awareness and
build a community of hope for all of those in need. NAMI is the
foundation for hundreds of NAMI state organizations, NAMI affiliates
and volunteer leaders who work in local communities across the
country to raise awareness and provide essential and free education,
advocacy and support group programs. To learn more about NAMI,
visit www.nami.org.

National
Council for Behavioral Health (National Council)
The
National Council for Behavioral Health (National Council) is the
unifying voice of America’s community mental health and addictions
treatment organizations. Together with 2,200 member organizations, it
serves more than eight million adults and children living with mental
illnesses and addiction disorders. The organization is committed to
ensuring all Americans have access to comprehensive, high-quality
care that affords every opportunity for recovery and full
participation in community life. The National Council pioneered
Mental Health First Aid in the U.S. and has trained more than 150,000
individuals to connect youth and adults in need to mental health and
addictions care in their communities. To learn more about the
National Council, visit www.thenationalcouncil.org.

Otsuka
America Pharmaceutical, Inc.
Otsuka
America Pharmaceutical, Inc. (OAPI) is an innovative, fast-growing
healthcare company that commercializes Otsuka-discovered and
in-licensed products in the U.S. With a strong focus on neuroscience,
oncology, cardio-renal and medical devices, OAPI is dedicated to
improving the health and quality of human life. For more information,
visit www.otsuka-us.com.

OAPI
is a subsidiary of Otsuka America, Inc. (OAI), a holding company
established in the U.S. in 1989. OAI is wholly owned by Otsuka
Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. The Otsuka Group employs approximately
42,000 people globally and its products are available in more than 80
countries worldwide. Otsuka welcomes you to visit its global website
at https://www.otsuka.co.jp/en/.

Lundbeck
Based
in Deerfield, Ill., Lundbeck U.S. was formed in 2009 as a
wholly-owned subsidiary of H. Lundbeck A/S in Denmark. With a
focus on accelerating advances in brain disorders, employees are
engaged in the research, development, production, marketing and sale
of innovative therapies that fulfill unmet medical needs among people
living with challenging and sometimes rare neurologic and psychiatric
disorders. In its late-stage research pipeline, the company has
neurology compounds under investigation for Alzheimer’s disease,
stroke and epilepsy, in addition to therapies in development for
mental health disorders. With a special commitment to the lives of
patients, families and caregivers, Lundbeck actively engages in
hundreds of initiatives each year that support our patient
communities. To learn more, visit us at www.LundbeckUS.com and connect with us on Twitter at @LundbeckUS

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